Counting Stars
by orintheus
Summary: Noel/Hope. For cottoncandy-bingo. The AU where Hope and Noel are in Vanille and Fang's roles.
1. Chapter 1

_So for this AU, I'm not sure if I'll end up writing the whole thing. Because of that I'll give you a little background, Hope and Noel have traded places with Fang and Vanille. They both come from Oerba, when they get their Focus, Hope dreams about becoming Ragnarok but has no idea what it means. Noel's Focus is to get Hope to the Fal'Cie that will turn him into Ragnarok, he catches on to it immediately and concocts a plan to take Hope's place as Ragnarok instead. It works and they both end up in the Vestige five hundred years later._

_For more info, I posted some scrapson my tumblr. Just follow the link on my profile. It's not much though (and it's not in order) :/_

There is a hesitance in Noel's voice when Hope asks him what had happened. Before they were crystallized and sealed into the Vestige. He says to Hope that they'd finished their Focus and that is all he needs to know. When Hope tries to argue back, Noel cuts him off. He pulls him away from the open space where they'd uncrystallised all the while taking note of Hope's new brand. Sticking out like an ugly birthmark on his wrist.

They are at least in the lower levels of the structure, that much Noel remembers before he'd crystallized. The Fal'Cie's chamber is located in the basement basically. Logic dictates if they want to get out, they'd have to climb up. So that's where he starts leading Hope, up the stairs away from the spot where he'd betrayed him all those years ago.

(To Noel, that wound is still fresh. If he pauses he can see himself dragging Hope's unconscious body away from the Fal'Cie's lair. He ties him up on one of the pillars thinking he'll come back when the job is done. And then, all he remembers is fire and rage.)

They manage to reach up to the halfway point of the Vestige. Wherever it has landed, it has sunk the lower parts of it to the ground. Exits that were once accessible now are completely blocked out by what looked like sand. Hope isn't as strong as Noel (they've known this since they were children) and starts puffing on the third flight of stairs they come up. Noel feels light-headed too, probably due to the fact they'd just woken up and had nothing to eat all the way through.

Hope plops himself on the stairway. Noel doesn't mind, because it gives him a chance to check on his brand. He pulls back the sleeve on his right shoulder. It isn't what he expects: instead of the harsh black colour, it looks white, frosted over. Hope catches a glimpse of Noel's face.

"What?" he asks.

"N-nothing, it's nothing," Noel replies.

He stands up, dusts himself off and tries hard not to think about his brand. But Hope is already peering at his shoulder.

"How did this happen?"

He's looking at it in complete horror. They've heard stories in Oerba about people turning into Cie'th but this—this is completely different, his brand is covered in something. Noel rubs at it indifferently.

"It doesn't hurt."

"We have to get someone to look at it," he says.

(Even if something doesn't hurt you, it doesn't mean it won't affect you.)

"Look, why don't we find a way out first then we can fix this."

He shrugs his right shoulder, gives Hope his trademark grin to show he'll be fine.

"Okay."

He starts up the stairway again, Hope following suit. There are monsters on this floor, Hope incinerates them with fire. He's surprised when Noel tosses a blizzard spell into the mix but relieved he can still use magic. The monsters (Cie'ths) writhe under the heat and ice. The spells are easier to conjure up this time around. And the floor they have landed on is the last one before the elevator that leads to the door midway to the top. When they reach it, a mass of Cie'ths come crawling at them. Hope flicks his boomerang in the air; it makes contact with the group of Ghasts, pushing them back.

The elevator is in full motion before Hope has a chance to see where it lands. But he peers down trying to see where it is in the mess. Noel is already looking up, to the future, to whatever is left of Pulse. They are greeted by the sight of a doorway when the elevator stops.

"Damn," he says, "a dead end."

"No," Hope says. "There's a breeze blowing through this door."

He pushes past Noel and puts his hand on the gap between the two doors. Noel's hands brush up against the door, he feels the breeze Hope is talking about.

Together, they push open the doors of the Vestige. Noel feels the sun's rays on his skin. A beach spread out all around them, Hope takes it all in breathlessly.

* * *

Bodhum.

The place they're in is called Bodhum. The people are lively and bright, without a care in the world. Noel doesn't like it, there's something fake, almost artificial that is off-putting. And he knows Hope well enough to know that he's already thinking the same thing. He stands next to Noel fearful and stiff.

There is a café close to the beach and stalls along the strip of the road just beside it. They don't bother with it. It's too loud and rowdy for their tastes. But the market is homely and has a milder smell of the marketplace back in Oerba. Hope eyes it all hungrily. They don't have any money. The lady running one of the stalls takes pity on them, she hands both Hope and Noel apples.

As Noel steps back from the booth, he notices Hope isn't watching where he's going and he ends up bumping into a girl. The girl panics at the sight of them when Noel reaches out his hand towards her. She holds her right arm protectively. Eyes them both suspiciously but she takes his hand when she realizes there's no real harm done.

The girl introduces herself as Serah.

She doesn't let either of them get anywhere near her bandaged arm. Though, she's friendly enough and maybe it might not be so bad to ask her a few questions, Noel thinks. Hope pales at the sight of the little arrow sticking out from the bandage but says nothing.

"Well, you're on Cocoon, didn't you know that?"

Noel's lip quirk up, looking to correct her but stops when Hope glares at him.

She takes one last look at them before leaving, the kind where she's not sure whether she can trust them or if they're completely insane. And Hope waits until she's out of sight to round on Noel.

"It's not our fault that happened, Hope!"

"How? How is it not our fault? If we'd uncrystallised before we—"

"That's not how it works!" Noel snaps.

He's losing his temper now but he doesn't want to admit it in front of Hope. They've been friends since childhood but the last few days before they completed their Focus was enlightening to say the least. Something along the way had changed. Noel can't describe what it is or why it matters so much anyway. Hope just looks at him angrily when he doesn't respond.

The two end up sleeping a good distance away from each other, in an abandoned beach house. He can almost feel Hope's agitation and longing in between the two of them. So he decides to make the first move.

"Hope," he calls out.

"What?" Hope grouses from his spot, tries to pull up his jacket to protect himself from the cold.

"I know you're cold," Noel teases. "I also know you don't stay mad for long."

He picks himself up to where Noel is resting because it's been a lousy day and that apple was terrible and didn't taste a thing like the ones on Pulse and the girl they'd met up with probably had it coming if she was stupid enough to wander all the way into the Vestige by herself, and he still misses his boomerang. But mostly, it's because he doesn't like the thought of ever being without Noel.


	2. Chapter 2

Maybe it's luck that they haven't been spotted yet and that they've managed to wander around Cocoon without any problems or maybe it's just the fact that the people here are so stupid and so dependent on their Fal'Cie for everything that they've made it this far, either way Noel's not complaining. Euride Gorge is home to the Fal'Cie Kujitaka. It is the place in Hope's dreams they must go to in order to complete his Focus.

They press themselves against a wall. There are security guards in the area. It's a little strange seeing them there. Most of the places they'd been to barely had any security, if not none at all. But it's not worth getting into a fight with them, there's heightened security all over the place as they slip into the building mounted on the Gorge.

The entrance looks like the Ma'habara Mines. All hard steel and metallic flooring, complete with a strong smell of smelted metal. The floor creaks at their movements, they pass down another hallway towards a bigger room.

"Their Fal'Cie is located here?" Hope says like he can't believe a Fal'Cie would want to live in a man-made structure instead of roaming freely.

Noel wipes the sweat from his brow. "I guess."

The room they stop in looks like an observation deck. Hope recognizes it from his dreams, the Fal'Cie was never inside but outside on the side of the mountain. There's a large window with a good view of it. It sits there large and unassuming, to Noel it looks almost lazy. He takes off his sword from its sheath on his back prepared to strike it down.

Euride Gorge is a lot bigger than has Dajh imagined, even bigger than the maps his dad had shown him on the way here. It's also a great place to play hide and seek with him, he hasn't been spotted yet, nor has he seen the main attraction: the Fal'Cie. He turns around another corner-

-The boy makes a soft, stifled cry when he sees Noel holding his sword like a javelin, prepared to strike down the Fal'Cie. It happens so fast, the bright blinding light and then nothing. Hope is hovering over the fallen boy, he has always been the better medic when they completed their first Focus. Noel sees him signing in relief, no damage done then. But when he touches the palm of the boy's hand, he realizes what's happened.

The mark is different from theirs, probably because it comes from a Cocoon Fal'Cie: a dark fan-shape over his black skin.

There's no time for them to argue as a man (the boy's father) rounds the corner. They slip out just in time and all they can hear is the distress of the man's voice when he discovers the brand on his son's hand. An inaudible choking sound. Noel tugs on Hope's hand, trying to (again) lead the boy away from the commotion before they get caught.

"Doesn't it bother you at all? Does anything ever affect you?" he says, the sunlight unusually harsh on his frame.

He licks his lips. "No," he says. "Nothing scares me."

(As long as you're safe.)

Hope stares at him for a little while. "I love you Noel, I really do. But sometimes-sometimes you scare me."

"What do you want? We can't fix every little thing we've broken, Hope. These people want us dead, they don't deserve sympathy. I told you that already."

"I guess."

The place is shut down for quarantine five minutes after they leave. There's mass hysteria over it, news spreads in every store with a television they pass, and it's all anyone wants to talk about. They head to the train station, still opened despite the fear and sit side by side, silently and it's only in this silence that it dawns on Hope that he'd just completed his Focus. He stares at his hands, afraid he'll crystallize right then and there, leaving Noel to fend for himself.

Nothing happens, in fact nothing happens for the rest of the way there.

Bodhum comes into view just as the sun is beginning to set. Hope would've thought it was beautiful if he wasn't too consumed with thoughts of his Focus. (Once though, he'd dipped his feet in the ocean when the beach was empty. There aren't any ground crystals like there were in Oerba, the sand was smooth against his feet. It felt nice and he could see Noel enjoying it too.)

Word hasn't spread in Bodhum, yet. Noel cashes in on it by doing some quick grocery shopping before heading back towards their small hut. Whatever they can't afford, they either steal or do without. This time, he pilfers from the NORA house on the beach. It's easy when the bar gets busy, there's always a door open to vent out the steam in the kitchens. He takes whatever's closest to the doorway: a couple of oranges, probably from a dessert or juice. When he enters their beach house, he sees Hope sitting on the floor. He hasn't crystallized, Noel doesn't remember it taking this long. It had happened almost instantaneously the last time.

That night they sleep, Hope dreams a different dream. He sees a frozen lake, four people beside him arguing. He already knows the man in the green jacket but the others are unfamiliar, the woman with pink hair looks like Serah. Serah and now Dajh and Sazh. He remembers every single name he's crossed paths with and wronged. Noel, on the other hand, does not dream. Hasn't since they both woke up and his brand hasn't progress either, he should be scared by this revelation but he's not. It makes things a little easier knowing that he doesn't have a Focus.

He wonders what's happening back at home, back on Pulse. If they'll ever make it there before—before time runs out for Hope. He hasn't changed into crystal yet and Noel sees him fidgeting in his sleep. The Anima clearly wasn't done with him, not by a longshot. He rolls over on his side, nothing good ever came with getting up when the sun wasn't out. The only thing it did was make you miss the call of the hunt happening when the sun was almost at its peak.


	3. Chapter 3

He awakes to the sound of a click. He looks up to see a gun pointed at him. Hope is off to the side, held by a man dressed in blue. He mouths out Noel's name. Noel doesn't move. The men have them surrounded. The place is too out of the way for anyone to wander in or hear them. A man approaches him, all dressed in white and greys. He offers his hand to Noel.

They are taken back to the Bodhum Military Academy, to be transferred onto the Palamencia, in chains. There is something that strikes Noel as odd: they were taken away from the villa as if they were trying not to raise any attention, even in the Military Academy, they'd used corridors that seemed vacant, empty. Were they not planning to turn them in? If so, what plans did they have for them exactly?

When they reach up to the airship, they are detained into a prison (at least for a little while) then brought up to a meeting room. The windows in the room are tall enough that they replace the walls, one long table slices through the middle of the room. The guards push them into their respective seats and Noel gives a glare to them when they push too hard on Hope. From where he is sitting, he can see clear blue skies. _They've already taken off then. _

Hope is sitting right beside him. At the front of the table is the same man he'd seen in their hut, holding a disk in his hand.

"Do you understand why you're here?" he asks. He gets up and starts pacing the room, like an untamed animal honing in on their prey. The disk catches the light every so often, glinting in his hands.

"I want you to know that I have very little interest in Cocoon's affairs," he continues on, staring at Noel. "We were asked to investigate what had happened in the Euride Gorge. We reviewed the security tapes you know. This disk has everything on it."

Noel hangs his head. He'd thought he'd been extra careful but apparently not according to the man. But he can't fail Hope, not after all they've been through and certainly not without a fight. He stands up. The chair clatters to the floor at the force of it.

"What do you want?"

"I want what you want," he says soothingly. "I want Hope to complete his Focus and become crystal. When that's done I'll give you the security tapes with all of your-exploits on it and you can be on your merry way."

"If I do what you say then you have to promise me you'll get Noel back to our village. On Pulse. In Oerba, so he can explain what happened to the matron," Hope's voice is shaky as if he's uncertain he'll be heard at all.

The man stares at Hope and he shrinks back at the attention. "You don't know how long you've been out for, have you? It's been five hundred years since the War of Transgression. Pulse is empty, deserted. The last time we went there, there were only monsters. I've never seen a soul."

Hope is breathing heavily at the revelation. Noel is silent, there aren't any words for it.

"Think about what I've said," he says. "You've nothing left to lose at this point, I can just as easily hand you over to the proper authorities and that'd be the end of it."

The guards are pulling Hope up, Noel is already being led away. He feels sick, tired and dizzy. And Hope is still panting. Both are dropped unceremoniously on the ground of the prison. All this time he's been dreaming of a home that no longer existed, a world that had now become desolate over the course of five hundred years.

Soon, Hope too will leave him, turning into crystal and he'll be left with nothing. Just as he had when he was a child and Cocoon had raided his village for its land and resources. Hadn't he fought hard to prevent this? He bites the nail of his thumb in contemplation.

"Do you think it's true?" Hope asks frantically. "That there's really no one left on Pulse?"

"I don't know."

He leans against the prison's walls. Hope takes a seat beside him and Noel rests his hand on Hope's head, pulls gently at the strands of hair.

"What are we going to do?"

Noel sighs. "Nothing we can do. You still need to complete your Focus, plus we can't do much when we're at his mercy."

"I don't trust him."

"Neither do I, but we can't do anything about it."

They agree to his terms. In return the man (Raines) shows them a video, looking like something out of a history class about the War of Transgression. The War had ended when Gran Pulse had no more resources to fight and all of their warriors had turned to Cie'th. Gran Pulse had seasoned fighters but Cocoon had technology. The technology had won over Pulse's traditions, following their victory they took and pillaged whatever they pleased. The whole narrative makes Noel's stomach churn. Hope swallows back hard. He can't believe the cruelty Cocoon has enacted upon his people.

(They really were vipers.)

Raines' plan for them is utilitarian, cold. Hope must complete his Focus just as the Fal'Cie has outlined for him but he must go alone to gain the trust of the people he will journey with. Noel will stay behind to watch over things from here. It's Hope's Focus, not Noel's, it doesn't make sense for him to follow.

"I accept," Hope says before Noel can open his mouth.

They are led back into their prison to talk amongst themselves at the details after their answer satisfies Raines' needs. The prison's a lot smaller now, it can't contain Noel's anger at Hope's kneejerk decision. Of course he's against it, leaving Hope all alone with strangers, while he's cooped up in an airship with nothing to do. He's fuming and Hope touches his hand.

"Noel," he says, patiently. "Don't think of this as me abandoning you. When I was sleeping last night I thought about how you'd attacked the Fal'Cie for me and how maybe I didn't crystallize because you killed it for me. But when I had another dream I knew I wasn't done. Raines was right: I have to do this on my own, Noel."

They are given three days for themselves. In those days, Noel learns his place and the expectations of Rygdea, Raines' righthand man has for him. They are also given a bigger room to suit their needs. Hope stocks up whatever he can for the journey ahead. The night before they are schedule to separate isn't as painful as Noel thought it would be, it's bittersweet. They stay in their room for the rest of the night. Together with some wine, just talking, looking up at the ceiling despondently when it becomes too much for either of them. And when Noel turns off the lights, he hears Hope murmur something soft turning to sniffling on the other side of the bed.

The morning after, they drop Hope off to the site of the Purge train. Noel watches, he watches him slip on the weird robes, his hood pulled up. He watches him get on the train without any hesitation. The last thing Hope had said just before he'd turned off the lights burning in his mind: 'When I crystallize, Noel, promise me you won't try and follow.'


	4. Chapter 4

The train jerks back and forth, the people are quiet, almost sombre to Hope. He tucks his hands in the oversized coat, leans back in his seat. He feels the train stop, then feels the rumbling of a loud blast that tears a large hole on the train car. It's mass hysteria as the people try and escape through it and he is pulled in with them.

Outside is dark, filled with sharp greens. The people spread themselves out. Those injured by the blast stay near the fallen train car, the rest are fleeing as fast as they can. A large man with a gun in his hand heads over to their direction. Hope flinches, hoping to god he's not part of the Sanctum.

The man tries to rally those fleeing. He stands up and says he'll get them out of here but they have to stay here where it's safe. Hope stares. It's the same man from his dream. The one towering over him, trench-coat and all. He feels himself pushing his way past all the other people, completely dazed. The man is talking to people in own his group after he's quieted the crowd.

He's not the only one approaching him. There are men far older and more experienced than he is asking for guns, asking to join the man's cause.

"Yes?" he says when he sees Hope.

"I want to join your cause."

The man shifts from one foot to the other. "I don't know. You're a little young."

"I can do it," he says. "I can fight."

"Where're your parents? How about I take you there instead?"

"My mom's gone, but my dad. He told me he's working in a warehouse at 75 Felix Heights, PalomPolum."

The man leans down to Hope's height, smiles. "How about you wait here then? I'll get you to Felix Heights when I get done with what I'm doing."

"What do you plan on doing?"

He jabs his thumb in the direction of the Vestige. "Gonna go get my bride."

"I see."

(The Vestige, he's going to the Vestige. I can get back my weapon then.)

"What's your name?"

"Hope."

"Hello there Hope, I'm Snow. Just sit back for now and I'll be back as soon as you know it!"

He gives Hope one last smile before picking himself back up and leaving him there. Hope starts to trail after him, at the end of the bridge are airbikes. He sees Snow get on one and ride off to the Vestige. He holds his breath, runs up to the unguarded one the others have neglected while waving at Snow and takes off after him.

The airbike isn't like the machinery on Gran Pulse. The controls are heavy and stiff to use, he ends up crashing right into the Vestige. His robes are tangled in the machine. He manages to slip out of it without any real trouble. He's landed in the middle parts of the Vestige, he remembers it as the place he'd dropped his boomerang.

It glints out on the floor just where he'd left it. He picks it up, feels the weight of it in his hands. The elevator is just a little ways down from here then. He climbs aboard it when he sees it, secretly relieved it still works from the strain Noel had put it through trying to escape the Cie'ths. It sends him down, to the depths of the Vestige. The Cie'ths that were there from before were gone. Probably emptied out when PSICOM had moved it from Bodhum. It's eerie, hearing his shoes hit the ground, reverberating off the walls.

There's a shout from beneath the staircase and he sees a rustle of trenchcoat disappearing into another room. It's the Fal'Cie's room, the place where they'd been awakened from their crystal stasis. He clatters down the stairs just in time to see Snow running up the platform.

Then Hope sees her, Serah lying on the floor, perfectly still. Snow takes her in his arms and Hope feels the need to hide himself. There's a lump in his throat that he swallows down. From the corner of his eye he sees two other people approaching Snow. He pales when he sees them: Sazh and the nameless woman in his dreams. Both the woman and Snow pull at Serah as though she were a ragdoll and not a human being at all. Sazh tries come between the both of them. Tries to soothe them into being rational but they're too caught up in their feud to listen.

Serah's not conscious enough to understand what's going on in the first place. Hope watches in awe as she floats out of Snow and Lightning's grip and turns into crystal. But where he sees a miracle, Lightning (the woman) sees red. She charges into the Fal'Cie's lair demanding answers and retribution. The two other men join her as well and it hurts when he hears Sazh mutter Dajh's name under his breath.

Lightning jams her weapon in the thing. Sazh and Snow follow her lead battering the Anima with fists and bullets. It absorbs the damage like sponge, whipping its tentacles at them if they dared get too close. Lightning ends up landing the last blow on it before it sets off a strange chain reaction.

The Anima opens itself up. Light bleeds through it as they are all suspended in the air. A bell chimes thirteen times, he feels something warm wrapping itself around his legs and arms.

(It can't do anything to me, I'm already branded. But it does anyway, through his dreams. He sees this horrifying monster howling in the distance.)

When Hope comes to, he feels a cold breeze down his back. He notices that they aren't in the safety of the Vestige anymore. Sazh waves his arms frantically back and forth. The place is dotted with blues, completely encased in crystal. Lightning is far more agitated and disgruntled at the discovery of her brand. The other two men purse their lips as if they're not sure how to react or what to do next.

They turn to face him, he shows them his brand on his wrist. It's enough to satisfy them, they don't even see the arrows jutting out of it. Noel's told him many times to stay calm, that panicking only makes it worse.

They're walking on a lake apparently. That's what Sazh's conclusions are, it's probably not off though as they pass by structures anchored onto the crystal resembling boats. He doesn't know and the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes how little he knows and understands about Cocoon. Raines had only briefed him on the things he might need to know if he encountered any problems with the army and the citizens.

His only reprieve is that his fellow travellers seem disinterested in him. They're too absorbed in their own problems to delve any deeper into his appearance, except for Snow who trails after him and makes sure he doesn't get hurt. He even starts blocking blows in his sentinel role for him, a gesture that annoys Hope. He isn't even using his abilities properly and he always gives him a lop-sided grin when their eyes meet.

(How unfortunate, he remembers me.)

They travel for a good portion of the lake battling the disgruntled monsters suddenly thrust out of the water when they come upon something glinting out of the clearing.

Serah is embedded into the lake. Her crystal is a pure white colour compared to Lake Bresha's heavy blue. She looks serene and peaceful to Hope. Snow calls her name, reaches out to her. He grabs a piece of metal and starts gouging at the crystal at her feet. Lightning and Sazh at that point are exasperated at Snow's enthusiasm and they watch from the side lines as he does this, muttering agreeably with each other. Hope stares a bit further away from the two of them, his arms crossed mostly due to being cold in his Cocoon getup. He feels a little more relaxed now that he's not jammed in with them. Distance is the key right now.

He ends up staying with Snow, part of it due to morbid curiosity of how long the older man plans on chipping away at his fiancée, the other part because he can't afford to lose any one of them to a freak accident. Lightning and Sazh pick themselves up to leave when they can't handle anymore of Snow's stubbornness. Frankly, it's better this way, he doesn't know what he'd say to Sazh and he isn't sure how Lightning would react to the news that it was all his and Noel's fault what befell on her sister.

Snow stops, drops his chisel for the last time. He smiles at Hope, though it seems strained and teary. "Guess it's just you and me. I'd continue on but I don't know, I don't think it's a good idea with you to take care of."

"It's not," Hope says bluntly.

Snow is taken aback. It's the first time he's said anything besides his full name.

* * *

"Kreiss, we have a problem."

"You mean you have a problem, I don't really care," he says carelessly.

He twiddles his necklace in front of Raines, eyes staring at the beads. The only remaining thing from his village.

"The two other l'Cies have separated from Hope." Raines' fingers drum at the table. "I can't have them wandering about like that."

Noel leans back on the chair. "The lake turned to crystal didn't it? Hope's already a crystal, even if you give the Sanctum the tape and I die it really doesn't matter. Besides you have Rygdea to do your bidding."

"Hope isn't a crystal yet. He's still roaming around with Snow. It's important that Jihl doesn't get her hands on them. We can do as much stalling as we can, the Sanctum hasn't heard about the breach. But it's only a matter of time, Hope needs your help to fix the mess he's made of things."

Noel stares at Raines. "So that was your plan, send one out and have a failsafe in case it doesn't work out."


	5. Chapter 5

Snow pulls him up the ledge of a capsized boat. It's been a good couple of hours since they've left Serah but Snow constantly turns around to the direction they'd left her and Hope can't help but glare at him every time he does this. He understands the pain really but Snow isn't exactly subtle about it either. How long has it been since him and Noel parted ways? And he hasn't even had that sense of longing the way Snow does.

(People on this place aren't just vipers, they're spoiled.)

He rubs his hands together trying to keep warm.

"Cold?"

"No, I'm rubbing my hands because it's fun."

Snow gives him a soft laugh. "You're a strange kid, you know that? What're you thinking following me like that?"

"I wasn't," he says simply.

"Right."

He looks down at his shoes, shifts from one foot to the other as if unsure of what to do or where to go next. Lake Bresha was once a huge body of water but it also had Temples and Ruins dotting the land. The problem is he isn't sure which direction would take them there but he can't let Hope know his ignorance. He's already promised him he'll take him home.

(Poor kid, wonder how he ended up here.)

He breaks into a jog, trying to get to the highest point of the structure. At least then he can ascertain where they are and where to go next, Hope follows suit. He spots something off in the distance, looks back down at Hope then realizing whatever it is, is coming straight towards them at an alarming speed. Snow ducks down low, taking Hope with him.

Hope tries to protest but Snow presses a finger to his lips, signalling for him to be quiet. He points back up to the sky. When Hope looks up, he sees a large airship with the PSICOM symbol on it. The airship lands close to them, enough so that they can hear the soldiers spilling out of it. Can hear every vulgarity and camaraderie and even see the details of their uniforms. Hope goes deathly quiet.

Snow is already raising himself up from the ground. He sidles himself close to the airship and almost has a heart attack by the writing on it. He signals for Hope to come down. Hope eyes him warily. He looks from left to right before joining the older man.

"Come on, we're getting on. No one's around!"

Hope stares at him blankly. "Why?"

"It'll take us to where your dad's working." He points at the writing on the rusted shell of the airship. "See?"

Hope squints at the letters. "What does it say?"

"It says PalumPolum express, it's going to PalumPolum. Don't you know how to read?"

Hope shakes his head.

Snow stares in disbelief but the moment is lost when he hears the sound of people approaching. He pulls Hope into the airship, Hope squeaks at the intrusion. They hide in a corner. The soldiers pass them by without any trouble. Snow hugs the corners of the walls, there's probably a basement or some other area that's completely deserted they could hide in. They'd just have to be really careful about it.

Hope is alert and fearful. The place looks exactly like Raines' ship, signals flashing all over the place. Voices coming on the loud speaker, constantly updating for alerts. He's completely overwhelmed that he doesn't hear the sound of men coming their way. Luckily, Snow spots a closet. He pulls Hope and stuffs him into it before slipping in. The soldiers are returning from their expedition. They sound angry, fearful. It probably means Lightning and Sazh have escaped detection too. Before they have a chance to leave, they feel the airship start up.

When it's stable enough to walk again, Snow peers out the door. Hope tries to avoid Snow squishing him but it's hard because Snow's body almost takes up the entire closet. Snow steps out of the closet first, then he signals for Hope to follow. They sidle the walls of the place, settling on the open door to the cargo area. The place is dark and dusty but it's better than nothing. It has enough space for the two of them to breathe.

"So," Snow says conversationally, sitting on a box. "You have any idea about our Focus? Seems like it's that creature that almost took down Cocoon."

"What?" Hope says breathlessly.

"Yeah, you know the one that made that giant hole in Cocoon but then crystallized just before it could destroy it."

Hope feels the pangs of an oncoming headache. Somewhere in his memory, he sees the same creature from his dreams jumping high into the sky, fire lighting the ends of it, blasting a massive hole in Cocoon.

Snow gets up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Hope says. "Just I dunno, be quiet for a while, will you?"

They stay in complete silence after that. Hope trying to collect his thoughts, piecing together what happened on his first Focus while Snow cradles the tear Serah had shed just before she crystallized.

They both get up to leave when they feel the airship coming to a halt, relieved they no longer had to worry over each other's company. There's another announcement about their arrival in PalumPolum on the loudspeakers confirming their suspicions. Snow peers out the doorway.

"Hey!" He hears a man shout. He looks up to see him up ahead pointing to them. Hope doesn't hesitate, he tosses a fire spell in his direction, then he grabs Snow's hand. He bolts, as fast as he can. It takes Snow a second to register what's going on. When he does, he tightens his grip on Hope's hand, easily overtaking him. With his free hand, he blasts the floor with an ice spell to stop the pursuers.

(The exit, the exit's up ahead if I could just hit them fast then keep running. Nothing bad will happen.)

They reach up to the place where they'd come from but it's already too late. There are guards surrounding them both in front and in the back, Snow can't hit them all. Hope blasts them with a thundaga spell, leaving Snow in awe. Hope slaps him.

"Time to go!"

The alarms go off in their wake but they've already made their way outside, to the streets of Palumpolum.

* * *

"Who are you?" Sazh asks in disbelief. They were surrounded and yet one little spell from this stranger had pretty much disarmed their pursuers.

Lightning aims the gun part of her gunblade at the man. There's no way a manadrive could have given him that much power, she's had experience with it before. It had to be l'Cie magic.

He smirks at the two. "Came here to save your sorry asses."

(I can already tell I'm gonna hate him.)


	6. Chapter 6

Sazh touches Lightning's shoulder. She knows he's probably right (has been for the whole time they've been together) but there's something about Noel's attitude that just gets under her skin. She lowers her gun anyway and Noel takes it as a sign it's okay to approach. He looks the two of them over, crosses his arms.

"Can't believe this," he mutters to himself.

"We can hear you perfectly fine," Sazh responds. The chocobo chick peeps from its hiding spot in his hair.

"Uh, right. So where're you off to? The ball before your carriage turns back into a pumpkin?"

"Ha funny. Nope, me and soldier girl here." He jabs his thumb to where Lightning is watching disinterestedly. "Have somewhere to be."

They've gotten far from where they'd split up from Hope and Snow, Noel had to give them credit for their endurance.

"Right then, where do you need to be?"

"Nautilus."

"What, is that where you dreamed to be or-."

"It's a theme park," Lightning deadpans from her spot, then she glares at Noel. "How do you know about our Focus?"

"Please, I saw you do magic." He shrugs. "If it makes you feel any better we're all on the same boat, might as well be on the same side too."

Noel takes his surroundings in, it looks like a junkyard. Rygdea and the others were probably gone by now, they'd only been ordered to take him where they'd spotted the two deserters, then leave as soon as Noel had met up with them. The man introduces himself as Sazh, the woman's name is Lightning and he tells them to call him Noel.

They end up reaching up to the gates of Nautilus. It's bizarre, in all of his years of being alive, he's never seen anything like it: there's a place built for games and amusements. They step into an orb that takes them to the bottom of the ocean. He's mesmerized by the colours. Then they re-surface to the park's real entrance.

It's loud and completely crowded, Lightning winces at the noise. To Noel, it's both exciting and a little over stimulating. There's too much colours and noise but it's all very beautiful at the same time. Sazh pulls them all close, he tells them not to get lost. They're still fugitives on the run after all but if they wanted anything, they could ask him for the money.

Lightning blows a strand of hair out of her face at the offer. She's an adult and a soldier to boot, theme parks aren't her forte. Noel tries to get his bearings on the place. Sazh puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You good?"

"Doin' okay, could use a little less noise though."

"You're a strange person."

"Yes," Lightning says, sounding completely suspicious. "He is."

Noel stares uncomfortably at the two of them. It was easy winning over Sazh but Lightning is another story altogether. She already feels something off about him. How he talks, how he walks, it just isn't normal by Cocoon's standards. And she gets her opportunity when Sazh leaves them trying to find the chocobo pens. Noel makes an attempt to escape to where Sazh is running to.

"Who are you anyway?" she asks, keeping pace with him.

He stops, turns to face Lightning. He scratches the back of his head, looks down at his shoes.

"Well, the thing is. I'm the reason your sister's in crystal stasis."

She purses her lips, walks up to the boy and slaps him square in the face.

He grunts. "The hell? You didn't actually think that would work did you?"

"No, but it still felt good."

She sticks her chin up, crossing her arms. "Got anything else to add?"

He rubs his cheek. "I don't know. I guess, see—me and Hope, we just woke up from our crystal stasis, y'know? And we didn't know what the hell was going on either. But we bumped into her and…it was already too late. Sorry Lightning."

She turns to the direction Sazh has disappeared to. "You better be. But we're not even until Serah says so."

Noel grimaces.

"And by the way, it's Light," she says. "Call me 'Light.'"

The place Sazh is so adamant about seeing is not Nautilus at all, Noel quickly deduces. It's the Chocobo pens located in the park. It has the delicious smell of home to Noel, both Lightning and Sazh stand in the background wrinkling their noses at it. He wonders how they'd fare on Gran Pulse where this smell is considered mild. He strokes one of the grown Chocobos and it coos at the touch. There's a strange lull in the crowd. People whispering to each other. He can't figure out what's going on but gets his answer a little faster than he'd expected.

The lights flicker off. Someone comes on the loudspeaker stating the Park is closed due to a l'Cie threat. The visitors scramble to the exits, there's pushing, shouting and screaming. Lightning, Sazh and him try to shove their way out. The park's lights are dim, security robots have already been dispatched. He tosses a fire spell just beside one that was too close to a little girl for his comfort.

Lightning beckons him and Sazh to follow. They have to get away from the crowd and sort themselves out. She's running towards the back of the park, where the racetracks are, the signs on the grounds tell him as much. The place is eerily empty when they stop by it.

"I know it's important to you Sazh but we can't stay here. Don't you see that?"

"Nah, Light. You know me. I got what I wanted. I'm done. I'll surrender and you guys can do what you want. I'm not like the two of you: I don't have the stamina, I ain't got any hopes for this thing to end well like the two of you do."

At this the chocobo chick pops out of his hair. It peeps angrily at him, chastising him for his decision. Noel glares at him, Lightning stares at him sympathetically. Lightning turns around to leave the place but a sound stops her in her tracks. It's loud and coming towards them.

Lights bursts out from the dark sky, a ship slowly descends towards the three. The wind catches them, they don't move. Noel pales at the insignia on it. It can't be Cid, hopefully it's not who he thinks it is.

A woman steps off the airship's gaping entrance. She adjusts her glasses, like an animal honing in on its prey. Noel grabs Sazh, puts the knife to his throat.

"Don't come any closer, I won't hesitate to do it, either. All that research down the drain," he threatens.

She smiles. "You think you're in any position to barter, after what you've done to that man's son?"

* * *

Snow and Hope slip out onto the streets, they're lucky, the guards haven't notified anyone about the breach. They can use that to their advantage, Hope pants from his spot next to Snow. He really isn't athletic or smart for that matter but it's not like Snow can choose partners, given their situation. He takes the crystal tear from his pocket, stares at it as it catches the light.

They make their way to the marketplace of PalumPolum, when Snow asks Hope the directions of the warehouse his dad is working in, he frowns then snaps his fingers in remembrance. He pulls out a piece of paper from his pockets. It's the directions to the place. Snow stares at the crude drawing, what kind of father drew maps for his son? Especially one this detailed, it had all the street names, the intersections on it. Hell it even had weapon shops labelled off.

('Kay this is getting creepy.)

He looks up from the map to the street signs. Since the map's so detailed it's easy to follow. 75 Felix Heights looks a good distance away, it'll take at least a good detour around the city, then up to a popular tourist area. It's supposedly a place that gave a good view of PalumPolum during the sunset and sunrise, popular with leads the way to the crowded marketplace, hoping their trail will be lost in the crowd. It works, for a bit at least. Snow barters for potions and goods they'd need to camp and fight.

The alarms go off about fifteen minutes after they'd escaped, their shopping is interrupted by a large broadcast. Every television screen they'd passed now has their faces plastered all over it. The shopkeeper stares at the screens, then back to them. Hope scorches him with a small fire spell, grabs the potions while he tries to put out the fire burning his shirt.

Hope pulls away from the stand. Snow huffs trying to catch up to him. He can see PSICOM members pouring out of the streets. Drones and other security robots clutter the sky, looking like deformed metallic birds. Hope stares at them with a strange, darkened expression, he tosses a blizzaga spell in the middle of the street, hitting both PSICOM members and innocent bystanders. The spell blossoms on the floor before splintering into a large icicle, taking them all down. The drones are immobilized by a rough thundra spell. He pulls Snow's frightened form away from the chaos. They're close to that tourist place, Hope remembers what Snow was telling him before. The place with the bench and vending machines.

He looks up to Snow, hoping the man's snapped out of his funk enough to point them in the right direction. Snow stares at him in complete shock.

"So, uh where to?"

Snow shakes his head. "Right."

He points to a set of stairs, pulls out the map for confirmation. "I think we need to go down. It shouldn't be too far now. Bet he'll be happy to see you again."

"What?"

"Y'know, your dad? The one you live with?"

"Oh yeah. Right, yeah, he'll be happy to see me."

The place they come to isn't a warehouse at all. It looks like an abandoned house, complete with a mailbox. He hesitates at the entrance of it.

"Go," Hope says, desperately.

"It's your dad's workplace isn't it? You should go first."

"Um I can't. I haven't seen my dad in a while you know? My parents divorced, you should try to talk to him."

"Okayyy."

He opens the door to the place. His suspicions are confirmed, it's empty. Completely abandoned, the place is dusty and littered with junk. Out of the corner of his eye he sees something move but it's already too late to do anything. He screams at Hope to run as he's jumped on by five different men all sporting the Army's colours.

He hears the sound of footsteps approaching him. Raising his head, Snow stares straight into Hope's face. It's full of remorse and sadness.

"You traitor," he bites out.

"I only did it to meet up with him again. Nothing else matters."


End file.
